I Can't Breathe Because
by Magical Marnie
Summary: I Can't Breathe Because... Every Breath is For You. The prequel to my previous fic, Every Breath is For You : Mostly Alek and Deryn, but Newkirk will make some appearances : Rated T for possible swearing. Remember to Review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello there! So, since it's the last day of 2011, I thought I would give you all something (hopefully) to look forward to in 2012. For those of you who read **_**Every Breath is For You,**_** this is the beginning to it. (Get it? If you put the titles together, the whole thing is: **_**I Can't Breathe because Every Breath is For You :)) **_**Hopefully you all like it :) - Marnie**

"Mr. Ferdinand. Mr. Sharp." Dr. Barlow began. "You have another mission." Dylan grunted/ He always hated to be away from the _Leviathan. _Alek smiled at his friend's sour disposition at yet another mission. Alek himself thought that missions were the perfect situations for him to use his mostly-useless diplomacy skills, and it was always fun to go on adventures with his best friend. Together, they were the best at stopping conflicts and solving international disputes.

"Well, I hope we're going someplace warm this time." Dylan said, slouching in his chair, arms crossed in defiance.

"That would be nice." Alek said, nodding his head in agreement. "Russia was very cold and the czar had not been very happy to see us."

"Aye! And that brat Anastasia and her barking sisters were all a nightmare!" Dylan added. Alek broke out in laughter at the thought of Dylan being chased around practically all of St. Petersburg by the Czarinas. He had _that _kind of effect on young girls.

The boffin rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid you're not going anywhere tropical." She turned around to her desk and brought out a large, rolled-up piece of laminated paper. When she uncurled it, it was revealed to be the map of southern Europe, focusing particularly on the Italian peninsula. "I suppose it is warm. Italy is said to be very hot in the summer."

"Why Italy?" Alek asked, completely serious, now. They had been there a few moths before on a mission to try and convince the Pope to re-instate Alek as the rightful Emperor of Austria-Hungary.

"Isn't Newkirk there right now?" Dylan said. "I'm quite sure that we left him there to do some more spy work."

"If you'd let me finish," Dr. Barlow snapped at the both of them, signaling for their silence, "you'd know that your _mission _is to get Newkirk out of Italy without raising alarm."

"How are we meant to do that?" Dylan asked, obviously enjoying getting on the boffin's nerves.

The doctor's fists balled up next to the map. "A diversion, Mr. Sharp." She said through gritted teeth. "There is a masked ball which both Mr. Ferdinand and yourself will attend. You will be attending as an ambassador from Britain, Mr. Sharp," she looked to Dylan, "and you an ambassador from Switzerland, Mr. Ferdinand," she looked to Alek. "Normally, Mr. Ferdinand, I would have no objection to having you be Austrian, but times being what they are—"

Alek raised his hand to stop her. "I understand."

"Where is Newkirk, exactly? What is his cover?" asked Dylan.

"Mr. Newkirk does not have a cover, Mr. Sharp. He is inside a wall, listening to all of the Italian officials in the Parliament."

Dylan broke out in laughter. "Inside a _wall?" _He said between laughs. "Why in the name of Darwin—"

"The masquerade is in the Italian Parliament building in Rome. You will have to act as normally as possible. Flirt with a few girls…"

Dylan froze, no sounds escaped from his mouth. "You want us to go to a party, skulk around, get some intel, then sneak off and get Newkirk out of his barking wall, _and _flirt with girls?" He counted all of his duties on his slender fingers. "Is that _all _you want us to do, ma'am?"

Dr. Barlow looked down to her desk, opening one of the drawers and retrieving a long leather leash. "I would also like you to walk Tazza, Mr. Sharp." She told Dylan sweetly. "Right now, if you please." The boy let out a string of colorful curses as the boffin ushered in out of the cabin. Alek got out of his chair to follow his friend's suit, but the boffin hastily shut the door behind Dylan. "Not you, Alek. We must have a chat."

Alek gave her a confused look. "Am I in some sort of trouble? Have I done something wrong…?" He let the question trail on, but Dr. Barlow waived her hand dismissively.

"Heaven's no. You've done absolutely nothing wrong." The boffin locked the door of her cabin and moved to sit once again behind her desk. "In fact, since you joined our side, you've been nothing except a model soldier. That's not why I wish to talk to you."

"Then why…"

"I am worried about Mr. Sharp." She said bluntly. "I am worried that he may do something risky or stupid in this mission."

Alek looked at his hand. They had changed much over the last two years. Gone were the well-kept nails and the soft palms. His hands were callused now, rough and strong, dependable, like him. He did not miss his old, arrogant self; the version of him that was dependent on Volger and Klopp. He was alone now. His mentors were in the Swiss fort, basking in their safety, while he served on the _Leviathan,_ trying to stop the war that he was partly responsible for. "Why would he do something stupid? Dylan is the best officer the Admiralty has, not to mention the most effective spy."

"Believe me, Alek, I am quite aware of Mr. Sharp's talents." She said firmly, but her face showed much unease. "I just cannot shake off the feeling that there is something wrong with him." She squeezed the bridge of her nose in frustration, and breathed out. "You may go, Alek." She finally said. Alek nodded and got out of his chair, walking towards the door. "Just promise me, " he heard Dr. Barlow say behind him, "you will keep an eye on Sharp?"

Alek turned around to face her one last time. "I always keep an eye on Dylan. He's my ally."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay! Shout-out time! Thanks to:**

_**Second Daughter of Eve **_**for the review and DON'T READ THE OTHER ONE! The second one is actually the ending to this one so if you want the full story experience, keep reading this one.**

**And **_**Awesomegoat. **_**I don't make that many grammar mistakes do I? I know that I make A LOT of typos, but I'm not that bad, am I?**

**If only, if only I had a beta reader who could see my awful typos!**

Deryn walked Tazza along the long halls of the _Leviathan, _slowly breathing in and out. She had no clue how much more lying she could take. She was going to have to tell him her secret soon, or else she would burst. Every time she had to sit in a room with him it was as if she were constantly getting punched in the stomach. She would mentally beg him to look at her, just one measly stolen glance, if only to make her heart sink. Barking self-mutilation, really!

Then there were the times that she would catch herself staring at him, almost possessively. It was a wonder that Alek was so oblivious to everything. The sky could be falling and he would still be focused on his damned engine.

"Why can't he just notice me?" Deryn muttered under her breath. "Why can't he just notice that I like him?" She looked around to see if anyone had heard her talking to herself, but there was no one in the deserted corridor. Laughing to herself, she thought of Alek's face if he caught her talking about him to thylacine. "That dummkopf! He never sees anything! He's about as blind as a fléchette bat!" She chuckled to herself. "I could wave my hands in front of him and say, 'oi, Alek! I'm a barking lassie—'"

"Coxswain Sharp?" She heard a quiet voice ask from behind her. She whirled around to face the young boy that stood awkwardly behind her. He was one of the new middies, and looked barely a day over 16. In his hand was a small pile of letters, bound together by a piece of string. "There's a letter for you, sir."

"Oh," she said, feeling her face going red with embarrassment. "Well, then. May I have it, lad?" The boy slipped the first letter from the pile under the string and handed it to her. "Thanks, Middy…" She wracked her brain, trying to remember the boy's name.

"Johnson." he completed for her.

"Right." said Deryn, scratching the inexistent itch on the back of her neck. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Johnson looked at her with wide eyes. "Yes sir, Coxswain Sharp, sir!" The boy saluted to Deryn and scurried back the way that he had come, his boots thumping on the fabricated wood.

Deryn hadn't even realized she had been holding his breath until she sighed out a breath of relief at the boy's exit. She could have been caught! What _if _she had been caught? She shuddered at the thought.

She kept walking down the hall, determined to finish Tazza's walk before retiring to read her letter. She walked at a hasty speed until she reached the boffin's room once again. Deryn thrust the door open and pushed the thylacine into the room. As soon as Tazza's behind disappeared from her sight, she promptly closed the door and steadily jogged back to her room.

_Dylan, _Deryn read as she lay in her bed. _How are things on the Leviathan, coz? The Minotaur is wicked. News of your… endeavors has spread throughout the entire Admiralty. My mates keep asking me if the "famous Dylan Sharp" is really my cousin. I really don't know what to tell them. My ma keeps asking about you non-stop. I swear she sends a letter everyday. She's gotten more neurotic since you didn't show up for Easter. Thinking about it, you didn't show up for Christmas or New Year's either. I haven't seen you since that day in London. Your ma's worried sick too. When _are_ you coming to visit? I know you're a hotshot airman and all, Dylan, but you have a family that misses you dearly. Ever since Deryn mysteriously "disappeared," my ma's letters have come with tearstains. Tearstains, Dylan! You of all people know how rare it is for my ma to cry. Ask for a vacation. Cleared leave. Fake smallpox if you have to! Do something! Just come back home in one piece. We all miss you terribly. Your cousin, Jaspert._

_You have a family that misses you dearly. _The line echoed in Deryn's head like a church bell at Christmas. She missed her family too. In fact, whenever she wrote Jaspert, she felt as if she was going to be torn apart, worrying about her ma, and all. She constantly worried about her brother, too. He was stationed in _France._ In the middle of all the action. She missed her ma, and even her crazy old maid Auntie and her seven cats! But she couldn't just pick up and leave the _Leviathan. _Or Alek, who would be all alone without her. Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to go back home for a week or two, but what would happen to Alek if she went home? Deryn was his only family.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, making Deryn jump in her bed and drop Jaspert's letter. "Dylan?" asked the voice from behind the door.

"Come in!" She hollered as she scrambled to the floor, trying to find the letter, but she couldn't see it anywhere. She stuck her head under the bed, feeling around in the mess that lay under it.

"Are you looking for this?" The voice behind her asked. Forgetting that she was under the bed, Deryn lifted her head, hitting it.

"Ow!" she exclaimed as a sharp stab blossomed from the back of her head. Swearing to herself, she crawled out from under the bed. A hand came down and grabbed her arm, hoisting her to her feet. "Thanks," she said as her eyes lifted to meet Alek's bright green ones. "Oh, Alek!"

His dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You seem surprised to see me."

Deryn cleared her throat and straightened her jacket lamely. "I just thought that you were still talking to Dr. Barlow, that's all." She sat back onto the bed, hoisting her feet up, and leaning back against the wall. She patted the spot on the bed next to her, signaling Alek to sit next to her. " So," she began. "What did you two plotters talk about?"

"You, actually." He said, taking his seat next to her, Jaspert's letter still in his hands.

"Me? What about me?"

"The boffin is worried that you're going to do something stupid on this mission." He stated, his eyes staring at the letter in his hands. "And I agree with her."

"What!" She exclaimed, feeling slightly betrayed. "Why are you worried about me?"

"The _Leviathan _is your life, Dylan! I took one glance at this letter and now I'm worried!" Alek waived the letter in her face. "You haven't seen your family in two years!"

Deryn's face paled. "I don't want to go home." She said so softly that her voice was no more than a whisper. "There's nothing for me back there. It all went up in flames with that balloon."

Alek's eyes softened a bit. "I know you miss your father. Not a day goes by that I don't miss my parents, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to forget the most important lesson that they ever taught me." He turned to face her. She had no choice but to look into his deep emerald gaze. "Family is everything. Are you going to throw away what your father gave you?"

"No," she said through gritted teeth. She did not need a lecture, especially from Alek. The only reason that she ever did anything stupid was to save _him_!

"Promise me?" Deryn narrowed her eyes. He looked as if he were going to beg soon.

"I don't do stupid things, Alek." She said gravely. "That's your department, aye?"

A smile broke onto Alek's previously serious gaze. "Funny. Just leave all of the stupid things to me." He stretched his hand out to Deryn and pulled her off the bed. They were only two inches apart, and she wondered if Alek could hear her heart about to burst from her chest.

"Sounds like a plan." She said, a bit breathlessly. "Do you know if there are any potatoes for dinner?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY THAT IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO POST :( I've been studying for my exams and finishing my entrance essays for University O.O I got my acceptance letters from University of Ottawa and York University :) I AM JUMPING WITH JOY :) Hope you all enjoy this, and remember that feedback is strongly appreciated! Thank you so much to my new beta reader _stopthattimerave_ for all of their hard work and patience with my numerous typos :) I owe you big time :)**

There were no potatoes at the party, and according to Dylan, "It's not a party without potatoes." Alek just sighed and leaned against the wall once again. There was no way that he was going to ask any of the girls at the ball to dance with him. They all seemed to flounce around together in large groups. And they went practically everywhere together! There was no way to corner one of them and ask them to dance.

Dylan, on the other hand, was floating around the room with a very pretty girl. Another one. He had not stopped all night. A new girl came to him at the start of each new dance. Every break the blond boy took was like a film premiere, and he was the star! The crowd of masked girls followed him everywhere.

Alek stared at his friend through the holes of his plague doctor mask. Dylan skillfully led the petite brunette around the dance floor. His bright hair was messy, tussled around his face and tumbling across his eyes. Bright blue eyes gleamed behind the simple white half-mask that he was wearing. Alek couldn't help but think of the Phantom of the Opera, leading around an innocent Christine in a dizzying waltz. Dylan was no phantom, though. There was no malice or trickery in his eyed; only joy and a boyish gleam that lightened the sharp shadows cast upon his face by the electric chandelier.

Alek shook the thoughts out of his head. They were not the proper thoughts that a boy ought to have about another boy. But how could he ignore the fact that his heart clenched at the sight of Dylan gracefully dancing with another girl?

"Your Highness?" A voice called from behind him, but he paid no attention. There were so many royals at this party, most of which he had never met. "Prince Aleksandar?" The voice persisted.

His eyes did not leave Dylan, and he made no movement to acknowledge the voice that was not aware of the current times. The Zoological Society paid Alek to make treaties, not recount unfortunate historical moments to snobby, ignorant royals. "I am not Prince Aleksandar." He said simply. "I am Wilhelm Bolliger, ambassador to Switzerland."

"Oh," the voice said lamely. "My apologies, Mr. Bolliger."

"Mr. Bolliger, you say?" another voice asked. It belonged to a woman. Her arrogant, snappish tone was as familiar as always. Her voice brought memories of bright red spices and cracking lightning, memories of both hope and death. Alek spun on his heel to face Lilit's masked face. Her brown eyes glinted behind her silver mask. "My, my _William,_ it has been far too long."

Alek smiled for the first time since the beginning of the party, truly glad to see his anarchist friend. "Lilit," he said to her, bowing and kissing her outstretched hand. "You're right. Two years, I believe?"

"Two years. You haven't changed at all," she chuckled, fingering the hem of her silver dress.

He sputtered with mock indignation. "That's not true! I grew taller than Dylan!"

Lilit snorted. "You might have grown, but still have the same tortured prince look." She pointed out. "Where is Dylan? I thought I saw a blond head around here somewhere."

"Alek rolled his eyes and grabbed a glass of wine from a waiter passing by. "_Dylan," _he began after downing the alcohol in one go, "is dancing with some random rich girl. In fact, he hasn't _stopped _dancing all night. And we have work to do!"

"Is that so?" she asked. Her eyebrows rose. "And you haven't danced at all?" When Alek shook his head, Lilit grabbed the empty long-stemmed glass from his hand and gave it to one of the waiters. "Let's go show how much years of fencing training pays off, shall we?"

Before Alek had any time to argue against Lilit's insane proposal, she had already grabbed his hand and proceeded to pull him onto the dance floor. He had no real choice in the matter except to go as quietly as possible, and not bring any attention to himself. His left hand found its way to Lilit's waist as he led her into perfect synch with the music being played by the very bored looking band. "How come they haven't kicked you out of the political world yet?" he whispered into her ear before twirling her around. Her silver dress fanned out, sparkling in the light.

"I am a loose rocket." She laughed as Alek pulled her back in. "They have to keep me around in order to _pressure _the politicians of the Western world."

"I think it's just because you helped them usurp the Sultan," he said sincerely. "It would be bad press to kick you out at this stage in the war. They just sent you as far away as humanly possible." That's what the Austrian government could have done with him, instead of giving him any hope that he would ever rule his country.

"Is that why the British didn't take you as a prisoner? Bad press? From what my sources tell me, I gather you've been the second best soldier the admiralty has ever seen."

"Second best," he echoed. "After Dylan, of course."

"Indeed." At the mention of Dylan, Lilit's eyes wandered around to find the blond boy.

"You have always had a soft spot for Dylan," Alek chuckled. Every girl had a certain admiration for the handsome airman.

Lilit's face flushed with color under her mask. "Well, _Mr. _Sharp is quite dashing," she affirmed. "Are you jealous?" She asked at the sight of his now-clenched jaw.

"Of course not." Alek snapped. "I am not jealous of Dylan. He is my best friend."

The corners of Lilit's mouth quirked up into a half-smile. "You're jealous of the girl dancing _with _Dylan, then?" Alek twirled her again; the soft fabric of her dress hit his legs as it fanned out once again, and Lilit tossed her head back, curls cascading down her back.

Alek's mouth gaped at the accusation. "You should not be saying things like that!" he shot through gritted teeth. "It's blasphemous!"

"Believe me, Alek, it's not blasphemous," she said sadly. "You can't help who you fall in love with." His eyes drifted to Dylan, who was staring straight back at him. Dylan gave him a small nod - the signal.

Alek turned back to Lilit. "Lilit, would you be terribly averse to helping Dylan and I on our mission?"

"What would I be doing exactly?"

"That depends. How loudly can you scream?"

**A/N: REMEMBER TO REVIEW :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING **_**THIS **_**LONG TO UPDATE! I am (unfortunately) still in High School and I had exams to study for. And although normally I don't study for exams, my university scholarship was on the line and I decided that studying would be a pretty wise move. This chapter is a bit long, and it moves a little slower than the rest, but I promise you that it's important and it was the only way link this chapter three and chapter five (which I have yet to finish writing). I haven't had a chance to keep writing but I promise that I will. My boyfriend gave me the flu so I'm not going to school for a few days. I'm going to write then :) ****Thank you once again to my beta reader, **_**stopthattimerave **_**:) And now for the comments:**

_**Winterowl321: **_**I promise that I am writing as often as my schedule permits. The bus company around here had a strike and I had to hitch a ride with my boyfriend to school... in his mother's car... **_**with **_**his mother... (*shudders*)**

_**TheunicornfromMERP2: **_**I'm glad you like the love triangle :) I put a lot of thought into it. And I am so sorry, but Jaspert doesn't make an appearance in this particular fic. But maybe in **_**Front Page News**_**? I really like the Jaspert/Alek/Dylan fic idea :)**

_**Samus: **_**Thanks! I loved throwing Lilit into the mix :)**

_**Swifty14: **_**Yes, there is a sequel. It's more like the original, or a second part to this one. It makes more sense if you read this one first because a lot of the things written in this fic are mentioned in the other one, but you won't be missing out on anything if you don't read the sequel. It would be like reading the ending of a book before the beginning.**

_**YellowWomanontheBrink: **_**Firstly, thank you so much for your review on **_**Every Breath is for You. **_**It really meant a lot and I'm glad that you enjoy it. I'm so flattered that this it was one of the best stories you've read :) I did put a lot of brainpower into the titles. I sat for **_**hours **_**trying to figure out how the titles would go together. And as an answer to your question: yes. The last chapter of this one will be the chapter that precedes the first chapter of **_**Every Breath is for You.**_

_**CaSsIa159: **_**I assure you that Alek will find out eventually. It's actually set in stone. I'm happy you liked the cliffhanger. Personally, I always hate cliffhanger endings as a reader, but I love using them as a writer. I hope you don't go insane if I wait take too long to post the next chapter ;)**

Deryn looked around the room, trying to find Alek again on the crowded dance floor. He was no longer dancing with the silver-clad girl, who she could see dancing with another man. She was sure that she had given him the signal, so why hadn't e caused a distraction like they had planned?

He turned back to the girl that she had been dancing with. "Miss, I am sorry, but my friend has disappeared, and I must go find him." She bowed to her partner and left the girl on the floor, not caring about her fate.

Then there was a scream. A blood-curling scream that made the hair on Deryn's skin raise one by one. She turned her attention back to the floor, but all she could see was a large crowd gathering around the center of the room.

Behind her, a figure pulled her by the arm away from the ballroom. Deryn turned to face a dark cloaked figure wearing a black mask, with an obscenely large nose, reminding her slightly of Cyrano de Bergerac, with his comical looks and daring personality. Alek. He let go of her arm and continued to run down the hall. They made a sharp turn onto a second dreary hallway and stopped at the second door, which according to their intelligence was where the Italian Parliament would hold their meetings. Alek knelt down in front of the knob and took out two long, incredibly this rods, and stuck them into the keyhole.

"Alek," she hissed under her breath, "what are you doing? You are horrible at picking locks."

"I've been practicing," he retorted, and Deryn smacked her forehead with her hand. Every mission was the same thing. Alek would try to pick the lock and fail miserably. She counted to ten in her head.

_. . .8, 9, and 10. _She shoved Alek out of her way and took the rods in her own slender hands. "Let's do this properly." She said to him. The rods were like an extension of her finger. She felt them hitting the round spheres inside the lock, shifting under the pressure of them. Deryn moved the rod higher by a millimeter, letting the rod slide just a little father in and. . . click! "And _that's _how it's done, dummkopf." She boasted, holding the now open door open for him.

"I had it all set, you just finished the job," he mumbled. Deryn rolled her eyes and followed him into the room.

The parliament hall was long, and rather messy. Chairs were strewn everywhere around the room, and the table in that should have been in the center of the room was overturned, as if someone had already been there. Something wasn't right.

"Something's wrong," said Alek, as if reading her thoughts. "Can we just find Newkirk and get out of here?"

Deryn turned around to face Alek. He had taken off his mask, and his hair was entirely tussled as a result/ She would have gasped if she were not able to control herself, but after two years of constantly being around him, she had learned how to compose herself. "Right. We ought to," she cleared her throat, "get to that."

"Do you remember where he is?"

"He's behind a painting of some royal bloke." She said, remembering Dr. Barlow's words. "That's the last message we received from him." She looked more closely around the room, there were paintings of people on every wall, and Newkirk hadn't told them which one _he_ was hiding behind. That dummkopf.

Alek's eyes widened at the information. "It's going to be a long night."

"Then we should probably get started." She replied, jumping over a chair and running towards the nearest painting. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alek turning around and running to the opposite side of the room. _Typical Alek, _she thought to herself, _always doing things the hardest way. _The portrait that she had been closest to was that of a man dressed in a fancy looking military jacket, with medals coloring the worn-looking dark green fabric. The man looked stern, and unforgiving. _Is this what Alek wants to be?_ She thought to herself. She couldn't imagine Alek being anything but being the adorably clumsy boy that he was. Deryn looked back and saw Alek struggling to make his way around the chairs in order to go to the other side of the room. Alek would never be like the man in the painting, he would be fair and kind. He would care about his subjects and treat them as his equals. He would treat them like he treated her. Deryn put her ear next to the wall and knocked on it, listening for any sign of hollowness or even a response from Newkirk, but the wall was as solid as a rock.

"Dylan!" She heard Alek call for her. "He's behind this one! It's hollow!" Deryn whipped around, seeing him once again at the farthest wall. She ran across the room, hurdling over the upside-down furnishings, and passing the once organized rows of chairs and large table that once sat a hundred. The portrait in front of Alek was that of a square-faced man with an abnormally large moustache that oddly resembled Count Volger's. He looked regal, but gentle, unlike the painting she had stared at. " That's King Umberto." Alek stated, pointing at the mustached man. "He's the current King of Italy."

"This is the hollow painting?" She asked skeptically. "Seems a bit obvious, don't you think?"

"Which is exactly why it's perfect." He explained, but seeing Deryn's perplexed look, elaborated. "If everyone thinks that this hiding place is obvious, it's the last place they'd look _because_ of its obviousness."

Deryn thought for a moment, trying to make sense of what Alek had just said. She had never been the analytical brain of the duo. That was Alek's job, as ironic as it was. She was the muscle and the spontaneous thinker. Those skills came with her disguise. "Alright, if you're sure he's in there," she raised her arms in surrender, "who am I to cross you?"

A smug look crossed over Alek's face for a moment before his brows furrowed in deep concentration. "How are we going to take _that_," he gestured to the portrait, "off the wall?"

Deryn cracked her knuckles, chuckling slightly. "Leave that to me." She opened the jacket of her evening gown and took out a large corked test tube from the left inside pocket. "Stand back," she ordered him, and Alek took a few steps away from the wall. As soon as she uncorked the tube, steam began to seep off the rim. She reared her arm down and threw the liquid from the test tube onto the wall next to the painting.

Where the strange odorless liquid hit the wall, it began disintegrating. Smoke puffed out at them as the wall sizzled and melted under the splash that Deryn had made.

"What _was _that?" Alek asked, coughing slightly at the wafting smoke and waiving his arms in an attempt to get it away from him.

"Hyperactively acidic plankton." Deryn said, waiving the smoke away from her face. "Dr. Barlow has been working on it for a while."

"Why didn't anyone tell _me _about it?"

"This is its test run." She said, feeling the hurt in his voice. "It hadn't been tested outside of a laboratory test, and the boffin gave it to me last minute."

"And you didn't feel the need to tell me that you had a new fab for burning through walls in your jacket pocket?"

"Not everything is about you, your princeliness!" She retorted.

"But it would have been nice to know!"

"It's not even that important!"

"It's important to me!"

"Why are you taking this so personally?"

"Because you hid something from me!"

"It's not a big deal! It slipped my mind!"

"Has anything else slipped your mind, Dylan?"

Her eyes widened. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Will the both of you stop it already?" A silhouette emerged from the smoke, a black shadow in the white mist. Newkirk's blue air service jacket was spotted with the remnants of plaster from the wall and dust. His brown hair was matted and streaked with dirt. "The both of you are partners and we have other things to worry about."

"What _things_?" She asked, worry seeping into her voice.

Newkirk dusted off his jacked, trying to compose himself. "The Germans are here. They heard that Alek was going to be here and thought _he _was the one doing the recon, not me. They've planted bombs all around the building. They're going to raid the party. No one's going to make it out."

**A/N: REMEMBER TO REVIEW :) CYBER CUPCAKES FOR ALL OF YOU THAT DO ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, as I said in _Front Page News, _I am going to be going on hiatus until the end of the year. NOT DECEMBER, NO! Just until graduation at the end of June. After that I will have a lot of time to finish this. I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to update but my life has been so hectic that, I just haven't had time to write anything cohesive. **

**_Middy Miles_: I'm sorry that Lilit's scream wasn't up to par. I didn't actually think I would include it in chapter 3 in the first place, and yes, I love cliffhangers ;)  
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**_b2uty and the b2st_: I love they're little arguments too :) It's why I think they're relationship is so amazing.  
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_**TheunicornfromMERP2**_**: I love answering reviews. It makes me feel like a real writer :) The reveal isn't actually going to happen until the very end. And by that I mean the last or penultimate chapter, so it's going to take a while. It's probably not going to be as monumental as you might think, but the aftermath is going to be quite dramatic.**

**_Knight Mistress_: I'm glad you find it funny :) I try to add humor in to balance the drama :)  
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**_Winterowl312_: It was not nice O.O I'm not an amazing fan of Lilit either, to be honest, but I like writing for her because she's such a dynamic character. Plus it helps describe how people perceive Alek and Dylan :)  
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_**You-Are-A-Fridge-With-Wingss**_**: I _love _your username. It's amazing! Anyway, I really took your comments to heart and made Deryn a little more "boss" than in the other chapters. She really takes the reigns in this one. I'm glad you enjoy my writing!**

**_Salinde_ and _Hiei'sNightmare_: Thanks and I'm trying to update as often as I can.  
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**Without any further ado:**

"What do you mean 'no one's going to make it out?'"Dylan asked, his eyes bulging out of his skull. "Are you cracked in the attic?"

Newkirk sighed at his denial. "There are three bombs planted inside the walls of this room alone. If you have some _miraculous _plan to get us all out of here alive, then please! Enlighten me, oh fearless one!"

Alek looked at _both _of them as if they had gone certifiably mad. "Are you out of your minds?" He shrieked, his rising much higher than it normally was. "There are bombs planted all over this building and you're standing here bickering?"

Dylan stared blankly at his for a moment, but then shook his head, as if waking up from a daydream. "Alek, for once in your life, you're absolutely right." He put his hands on both his and Newkirk's shoulder, the way he normally did when he was about to brief them on a mission. "Right lads. We're going to try to evacuate as many people as we can before this bloody building blows up. Newkirk, how long do you think we have?"

"Less than ten minutes, if we're lucky."

"Lovely. You're going to run into the servant's quarters then, get as many of them out as you can. Alek and I are going to charge the ballroom."

"Why can't I charge the ballroom with you?" Newkirk whined.

Dylan whacked him on the head. "Stop being a jealous ninny! I'm in charge of this mission, so what I say goes. You know the building better. Alek and I would just get lost." He looked at them both. "Now, let's get this done quickly." He said with an air of finality. Newkirk muttered something unintelligent under his breath and stalked off, his boots stomping loudly on the fabricated wood. "And move your ass, you bum rag!" He yelled at his receding form, before starting to run himself.

Alek struggled to follow Dylan as they both retraced their steps back into the ballroom. Together, they cut the corners of the hallways, the faces of the portraits that had stared back at them on their walk to the Parliament hall were now nothing more than blurs of bleak pastels and dreary grays. The gold lining on the wood paneling of the large was no longer shiny and impressive as they rammed into it, causing to crash into the walls of the other side.

"Everyone get out!" Dylan screamed to the room, his voice cracking at the volume. "There're bombs all over the building!"

Alek felt that in the years to come he would regret not stopping his friend from announcing to a room full of hundreds of people that they were in mortal peril. It was not Dylan's smartest move. It took a minute for the crowd to process what the boy had said, but when the reality sank in, there was a chorus of creaming and shouting. The panic was excruciating. Women in their ball gowns ran around the room in search of their coats and their partners. The flurry of color was like being inside of a distraught rainbow, fabrics shining off the dim lighting of the room. The men did not worry about the women, but more to their top hats and canes, worried that their best attires would be destroyed by the impending disaster.

"People!" Dylan yelled incredulously, but the crowd was in too much of a panic to listen to him. "Forget your things! If you don't get out now, you will DIE!" The last word seemed to strike a nerve, and the panic began to move faster towards the door, rather than in directionless circles around the room. Dylan ushered the crowd out of the door while Alek scanned them, looking for any missing people. He saw most of the important ambassadors leave through the double doors, but he couldn't see the most important person in the room, the Pope.

"Scheiße." He muttered under his breath. _Maybe the Pope already got out?_ He thought to himself, but it didn't convince him. For some reason, there was an itch at the back of his mind telling him to go look for him. "Dylan!" He yelled into the crowd. "I'm going to look for the Pope." Alek didn't wait to see if his friend had heard him, but instead ran straight out of the ballroom.

From the outside, the Parliament seemed to have a lot of useless rooms, and as Alek far as Alek could see his observations had been right. The hallways were filled with nothing but dark, empty rooms. Some of which had desks and bookshelves, and others were devoid of any useful objects. Nevertheless, he briefly checked every single one. He was in what was close to the last room that Alek checked, sifting through a desk.

"Your Eminence." Alek breathed out a sigh of relief. "Didn't you hear the announcement? We have to leave," and after some consideration, he added in a silent "sir."

"I cannot do that now Aleksandar. I must obtain one last thing." He said, as if the news had not ruffled the feathers of his bird mask.

"Am I the only one who actually wants to _live_?" Alek muttered under his breath. He walked to the Pope and grabbed him by the arms.

The Pope struggled against his hands, trying to shrug them off with all of the force he had. "What are you doing?" He hissed.

"I'm trying to save you!" Alek said through gritted teeth. He struggled to keep his grip on the Pope's thin arms, but his strength was greater than the holy man's. "Keep still." Finally, with a great outburst of power, Alek heaved the Pope up and pinned him onto the wall, his hands gathered in the silky white material of his cloak. "Listen to me!" He grumbled, is voice rumbling deeply from his chest. But the Pope didn't keep still or listen, so Alek gave him a mighty headbutt, and the older man fell limp in his arms. He hulled the unconscious body onto his back, the weight wasn't much in comparison to what he was used to lifting, and started running away from the room.

**A/N: REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, so I feel like I owe you all an explanation (and an apology). After graduation I got insanely wrapped up in my job and then I went to Brazil to visit my family there as a final hurrah before I started at Queen's University. And then I started University and frosh week came and I simply didn't have the time or the energy to write. I am not lying to you when I say that I actually went to sleep at 11 during frosh week and skipped every after party that there was last week. And there were a lot of after parties during frosh week. I also met a guy. And I was hanging out with him when I _did_ have those spare moments of time. I'm sorry I let this get to the back of my mind. I promise I'll be better. I'm just so _happy. _More than I've been in a long time. **

**_Falling in slow motion: _You'll find that out in the next chapter. Just sit tight and be patient. It is a virtue. I enjoyed the Doctor Who reference :) I nearly woke up my roommate when I read it :)  
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**_Knight Mistress:_ I'm just going to assume that's sarcasm.  
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**_Erica_: I'm working on it :S  
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**REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**

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><p>Deryn tumbled past the heavy wood doorway and kept running on the field in front of the Italian Parliament. Every so often she would push people out of her way or scream out for them to run farther, but her legs had not stopped moving. Her eyes constantly scanned the crowd for any sign of a mahogany head or a pair of emerald eyes. How had she lost him? They had been standing next to each other for Darwin's sake!<p>

"ALEK!" She screamed into the crowd. "ALEK! WHERE ARE YOU?" There was no response from the gathering crowd.

"Dylan!" She heard a cry from behind her. Deryn whipped around much too quickly and tripped over her own feet. From the ground, she looked up, hoping to see Alek, but she only saw the girl with who he had danced with before. The hem of her long silver dress was brown from having been dragged in the grass and mud. "Dylan, wait!"

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Deryn asked anxiously, getting up from the ground. The girl tore her mask off and revealed her tanned face. Her left eyebrow was raised to match the cocky smirk on her face. "_Lilit_?" She asked in shock. "What are you doing here?"

Lilit crossed her arms. "I'm an ambassador. This is what ambassadors do."

Deryn felt slightly stupid for a second, but then shook her head. "Have you seen Alek?"

"Me?" She asked in surprise. "I thought he was with you?"

"Ugh!" Deryn groaned in frustration. "He was! But then the dummkopf had to run back in!"

She started walking back towards the building, half hoping to see Alek and half hoping to lose Lilit, but she had no luck with the latter. The Turkish girl kept up with her trotting, regardless of the dangers of entering a possibly explosive building, but kept silent. Deryn realized then, that there were no officers to be found around the building. There were only civilians, and while that would be perfectly normal in any ordinary situation, she had been sure that Dr. Barlow had ordered guards to be posted around the perimeter.

A loud explosion interrupted Deryn's thoughts and the force of it threw her to the grass. The blinding light left black and white spots peppering her vision, and the heat scorched her skin. When the spots cleared from her eyes, Deryn saw that the parliament had burst into brightly colored flames. The fire licked the roof of the ancient building and black smoke escaped through the shattered windows in curling tendrils. And then the floor started shaking.

It began with just a hum, a throbbing in the dirt that caused the path of the earthworms below the grass to change their linear paths, but it built up until Deryn could see the walls of the building shake. White ash built up around it as the bricks from the roof began tumbling from their perches. Then with a loud rumble, the roof caved in on itself, the center of it crashing down through the Corinthian arches that had supported what was once the ballroom floor, and decimated the entrances to the once majestic building.

The breath that Deryn had been unwillingly holding in her chest burst out. Her diaphragm contracted and her lungs felt as if they had been crushed also by the caved roof. The weight in her chest stopped her breathing and she fought to grasp the oxygen in the ash-filled air. She barely heard Lilit's cries behind her, and barely noticed the fact that her eyes were burning with tears from the smoke. The tears could have been from the body-crushing pain that she felt in her chest, or from the sense of loss that had hit her like a searing thirst in a desert, but Deryn chose to blame the salt-water expelled from her eyes on the defenceless smoke until she could no longer bear to look at the destruction that lay just a few hundred meters from her feet.

Letting the unwelcome tears fall to the ground below her, Deryn hoisted herself up from the ground and faced Lilit. The turkish girl's dark eyes were rimmed with red and running from the ink she had applied to her eyes. She said nothing. Neither of them did. They both just stared into the grief within each other's eyes with an unspoken understanding. Lilit launched herself forward and let her face sink into Deryn's chest and the difference in their height was more plain than it had ever been before, but Deryn didn't bother to put her arms around the girl in any attempt for comfort. Her limbs were too heavy and stiff to move and lay uselessly at her sides. She just closed her eyes and felt her stomach trembling with irregular breathing and the occasional hiccup.

There were a few grunts behind her, but her attention was still vacant from the background noise. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder in a gesture that she could only ever describe as loving. Deryn turned around, and in front of her, as bright and alive as they had always been, were a singular pair of green eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Wow. So I guess I forgot about my whole "I'll be back in two months thing...". Yeah. Sorry about that. I don't even have an excuse. I just forgot and then I remembered. And then I had school. Then everything went to hell and I forgot. That seems to happen a lot when you have a million papers to write. I can't exactly promise anything since everything is up in the air right now, but I'm going to try my best to finish this. I've taken off _Every Breath is For You_ because I'll be re-uploading it as I get on with this one. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Leviathan. _Wish I did... but I don't.  
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><p>Alek wasn't sure what he expected when he grabbed his best friend's shoulder, but he hadn't expected to get hit… multiple times. Sure, a hug would have been nice, or maybe even a 'hey Alek, glad you're alive', but no, Dylan turned around and immediately went bright red with anger. The boy started hitting Alek repeatedly and everywhere he could. He had a feeling that he would find bruises on his arms and torso in the morning, but Alek paid the thought no mind.<p>

"How. Could. You?" Dylan articulated between low punches. "Have you now respect for your superiors?"

"Dylan!" He nearly screamed, and grabbed his friends flailing hands. "I'm fine. See?" He motioned to himself. "I'm quite alive!"

Dylan tore his hands away from him and brushed his pale hair away from his bright eyes. "I thought you were dead, your princeliness." He spat. "I lost you and I didn't know _where_ you were, dummkopf. Do you know what that's like? Do you _understand_ what you put me through?" The boy turned around and Alek thought he heard him say "you bastard" under his breath.

That was like a trigger. "I told you where I was going!" He snapped. "I told you that I was going to see why the Pope was—"

"You did _not_," Dylan said, poking his forefinger into Alek's chest with force, "tell me where you were going. At _any_ point."

Alek crossed his arms and turned his nose up in the snobbish, aristocratic way that so irked Dylan. "I did so."

Dylan was fuming. He started folding back the sleeves of his dinner jacket, preparing to rear his arm back and knock the arrogance from Alek's smirk, but before he could do so, Alek was attacked by a small figure dressed in silver.

Lilit, who both Dylan and Alek had forgotten was there in the first place, jumped Alek, nearly knocking him over. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and she kissed both his cheeks. She pried herself away from away from him, leaving her hands on his cheeks, holding his face. And then she slapped him. "How dare you scare us like that, Aleksandar?" She said indignantly.

Alek rubbed his tingling skin, now red from where she had slapped him. "Sorry, Lilit." He mumbled in shame and looked at the floor.

"Now, we're both glad you're alive, but you must promise me that you will never go off on your own again." She said, tapping her foot in front of her. "Well?" She snapped. "What are you waiting for? Promise!"

He turned his face up to see her scowling face. She was awfully pretty, even angry, but not as pretty as Dylan. Alek shook the thought from his head and mumbled "promise."

She continued to glare at him. "I didn't hear you."

"I said I promise." He whined, sounding rather like a four-year-old than the near adult that he was. Behind Lilit, he heard an unceremonious snort coming from Dylan.

"Good," she said, the silver dress shimmering as she shifted her weight from her front to her back foot. "Now, if you two would stop fighting like an old married couple, you would take notice of the Holy Father coming towards you."

Both Dylan and Alek looked up to see that the Pope was in fact coming towards the both of them. He was rubbing his head where there was a large, purpling bruise in the middle of his forehead; the place where Alek had head butted him. "You let the Holy Father get hurt?" Dylan hissed at him.

"Actually, I hit him in the head." Alek clarified.

"You _hit_ him in the _head_?" He asked, sounding both appalled and impressed at the same time. "That's like locking up a dictator in a closet! It's simply not done!"

"Well," Alek's teeth grinded roughly in his mouth, "I didn't really have a choice."

Their conversation was cut short when the Pope, for some inexplicable reason, grabbed Alek by his shirtsleeves and pulled him in for a long embrace, only to push him away, leaving his hands on Alek's shoulders. "My boy!" He exclaimed in a thick accent. "You saved me!"

Alek scratched his head. "I guess I did?" He shrugged. "I wouldn't have had to save you if you'd just _agreed_ to come with me."

The Pope seemed to consider this for a moment. "Child, would you mind if we spoke somewhere more private about those matters?"

"Whatever you want to say to me," he began, crossing his arms across his chest and stretched up to his full height, "you can say to my friends."

Behind him, he heard Dylan snort loudly. "Don't worry, your eminence, you can have his princeliness all to yourself." He poked Alek in the shoulder and then whispered in his ear "I have to go find Newkirk and do a damage check."

Before the blond boy could move away, Alek caught his shoulder. "You sure you don't need me?"

Dylan laughed. "I'm a big boy. I think I can handle a few royal bum-rags."

Alek nodded and said to the Holy Father "Shall we take a walk?"

"Yes." It was silent between them for a while. They walked away from what was left of the Parliament and away from the crowd of gathering people. "I knew your father, you know." The older man said softly. "He was a good man. Franz wanted to stop the animosity between Serbia and Austria. He wanted to give the Hungarians the freedom they deserved. He didn't need to go out that way."

"Sir, not to be disrespectful, but why are you telling me this?" He asked.

"I'm telling you this because you're going to need to make a choice. I am going to give you a choice."

Alek's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What choice could you possibly give me? I'm quite sure I've hit my mark for what I can do for the world—"

"Aleksandar, did you ever meet the royal family of Savoy?" He interrupted. Alek shook his head in response. "King Victor has a daughter that is about your age. Her name is Yolanda and she is still unmarried."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"If you were to marry the girl, that would bring an alliance between Austria-Hungary and Italy, Aleksandar." The older man wore an expression of amusement, which Alek did not understand. He could see nothing amusing in an exploding building or a marriage proposal.

"I am not the Emperor of Austria-Hungary," Alek pointed out. "You made sure of that. How am I supposed to make an alliance on behalf of a country that I do not represent?"

The pope sighed in disappointment. "You do not understand, child." He paused. "I will give you the certificate of legitimacy, granting you full powers of state."

Alek felt his eyes widen in surprise. "You-you mean I can rule?" He stammered. "I can stop the war?"

"If that is what you wish." The older man said.

All at once, everything he had seen in the past three years flashed before his eyes. All of the blood that had been shed, every life he'd seen end, played in front of his eyes like a movie. It was so much to take in.

"What is your answer, Aleksandar?"

Alek thought for a moment. What _was _his answer? He wanted to rule Austria again, that was true, but he didn't want to be married at the age of eighteen. He had barely lived! He'd been bred since an early age to be a ruler and a leader, but he'd never thought of being a husband. He knew marrying a young royal in order to make good political ties was inevitable, but this was too soon.

"I don't know," was his answer.

The pope's face fell into a small frown. "I see…"

"That's not what I meant!" He said quickly, trying to salvage the situation. "I just need some time to think this over. I thought I'd never have the chance to get Austria back, and now… This is just a lot to take in."

The pope looked at him with sad eyes. "I will give you a week. I understand that this is a hard decision that needs to be thought over with time and care…" Alek could swear that he saw the old man's eyes twinkle in the firelight. "But time is of the essence, child. There are only so many people who can die before the right choice is made." The pope put a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze before moving away, rejoining the massive crowd of aristocrats that now stood gathered in front of the flames.

Alek stood in awe of the burning building. It must have taken hundreds of workers and many years to build a chateau of that size and grandeur. So much money and time put into an edifice made of stone, one that was expected to last for the next thousand years. Yet, it had taken all of one split-second decision to bring it all down. Not even a second thought or an extra breath.

Just there… then not.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Whilst taking a class on Literature and Pop Fiction, I realized that I have been working on this since 2011 and have still not finished it. Then I started feeling super guilty and hating myself. So my New Year's resolution is to _finish this fucking fic._ To all of you out there who still follow this... Damn. I love you all so much. You're all amazing and incredible and patient and I just want to hug you all. Thanks for sticking by with me. I promise I'll be better with this. I'm not gonna promise to update frequently, but I promise to at least update. I am going to finish what I started. I'm also editing _Every Breath is For You _and then republishing it on the end of this fic. **

_**Clevingerrr:**_** I started writing this in 2011, waaaaaaaaaay before _Goliath _came out. Originally, I had written _Every Breath is For You_ from the middle to the end without ever going to the beginning. Then I started this fic as the beginning to _EBIFY. _I didn't like how Scott Westerfeld handled _Goliath, _so I took this as a chance to write my own ending. This is set in a world where _Goliath_ didn't happen. Also, I am aware that Alek headbutting the Pope is one of the weirdest moments on this site. I couldn't stop laughing at myself when I wrote it because it was so ridiculous. **

**As always, please review!**

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><p>Smoke clung to the air like a child clinging to its mother. The palace was now nothing more than a pile of ash on the ground. Alek sat only a few feet from the rubble, his legs drawn close to his chest, half in an attempt of comfort and half to keep from being completely exposed to the thick smoke.<p>

He did not notice when Dylan unceremoniously set himself down beside him, not too closely, but close enough. He was silent, not wanting to disturb the lack of peace in the air.

"You want to ask." Alek said, his eyes still fixed on the eerie cloud. "So do."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Dylan's jaw tense, as if he was grinding his teeth. "You've been sitting here a while."

"Have I?"

Dylan nodded. "We should leave soon."

"We should."

There was a sigh. "I know you're not usually very eloquent, your princeliness, but his is bordering on the ridiculous."

Alek dug his forehead into his knees. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me what's going on without me having to ask."

He suppressed the growing lump in his throat. "It was a lot." He stated. He couldn't tell if it was the tendrils of ash slowly settling themselves in the crevices of his lungs and throat or if it was the guilt of not wanting to make a decision that was making the air harder to breathe, but every breath seemed to lack the sufficient amount of oxygen to function. "The Pope said he'd support my claim to the throne if I marry the Italian princess." He said simply.

Dylan's eyes shot up. "Beg your pardon?"

He didn't bother to clarify. There was no point. "He gave me a week to decide what I want to do."

"And what do you want to do?" He asked solemnly, his blue eyes keeping their intent gaze.

Alek scratched the imaginary itch on the back of his neck. "I don't want to marry."

"Are you mad?" Dylan scrambled up to his feet and stood in front of him, hands on his hips. "He's giving you back your country!"

"But I'll have to marry a stranger!" He repeated, exasperated.

"You'll stop a war!" He said angrily. "Listen, dummkopf, as much as I love the whole romantic idea of marrying for love, I'm going to have to be a logical barking person here for a minute." Dylan's blue eyes looked like they were on fire. "You have to decide what you want to do, Alek. You could be married to someone you don't love and save thousands, possibly millions, from dying, or you can just forget about everyone else." He shut his eyes for a moment and sighed. "Or you can be happy and in love and live with the responsibility."

The crushing weight of Dylan's words ensconced itself in his mind, laying waste to all of the thoughts that were running through his head. He wanted to be able to push aside his feelings and do what needed to be done. He wanted Dylan's rousing speech to make him shoot up and inspire him to do what was right, but they didn't. For the first time in a long time, he felt like a child. In that moment, Alek saw his father's mouth curled downwards in disappointment and his mother's green eyes cast down. There was no way to make the choice. No way to respond. So he didn't. "Where's Newkirk?"

"He and Lilit were making sure all of the people can get home safe. Lilit just left." Alek could feel Dylan's gaze fall on him, but he did not move his head. "A lot of them were pretty shaken up by tonight."

"I guess it's not every party that gets its own explosion."

"I guess not."

"They're probably going to be telling their kids about this for years."

"Rich dummkopfs."

"That would have been me." In another life. In another place. But he didn't say that. "Any casualties?"

Dylan shook his head. "A few injuries. Nothing that won't heal in a few days."

"That's good."

"Just grand."

Alek raised his head to meet Dylan's eyes. In that moment, he wanted to tell his friend everything. To share the burden of a decision he couldn't make. "What's the plan now?"

He watched as his friend scratched the back of his neck and uncomfortably contorted his face. "Aye, about that…."

His brow raised slightly. "Dylan…."

"Well, what you've got to understand is that the beastie was called back to France." His shot up to defend himself from Alek's glare. "And it's pretty tense between Italy and France. Not to mention that the Italians hate us—"

"Dylan!" He snapped at his frazzled partner. "What is the escape plan?"

Dylan sighed. "We're taking a small airship to the Italian border, then we're taking a cargo wagon from the border up to the trenches."

Alek blinked slowly. "That sounds unnecessarily tedious."

Dylan chuckled. "That's government for you."


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